McChord – Anchorage – Yokota – Cam Ranh Bay

On November 27, 1970 at 05:05 PM, McChord – Anchorage – Yokota – Cam Ranh Bay experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-8, operated by Capitol International Airways, with the event recorded near Anchorage-Ted Stevens Intl Alaska.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

229 people were known to be on board, 47 fatalities were recorded, 182 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 20.5%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 219, passenger fatalities: 46, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The airplane was completing a charter flight from McChord AFB to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, with intermediate stops in Anchorage and Yokota, carrying 219 military personnels and 10 crew members. During the takeoff roll on runway 06R at Anchorage-Intl Airport, the airplane failed to gain sufficient speed and to get airborne. After V1 speed, the crew decided to abort the takeoff procedure but the airplane overran, struck a wooden barrier, an ILS structure, a 12-foot deep drainage ditch and came to rest in flames. A crew member and 46 passengers were killed while 182 other occupants were evacuated, 163 of them were wounded. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Aircraft reference details include registration N4909C, MSN 46060/472, year of manufacture 1969.